Method of atomizing liquids.



UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

ERNST KOEBTING, OF PEGLI, ITALY, ASBIGNOR TO THE FIRM 0F SCHUTTE & KOERTING I 00., 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF ATOMIZING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 229,448, filed October 21, 1904. This application filed November 13, 1913.

To all Whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST Konu'rmo. a subject of the King of Prussia. residing at Villa Koerting, Pegli, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of Atomizing Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of atomizing liquids and has for its object to attain more efficient atomization than has hitherto been usual while dispensing with the usual baffle plates against which the liquid to be atomized impinges, or the provision of means for imparting a gyratory motion to the liquid as it emerges from the atomizing nozzle.

According to the present invention the li uid is supplied to achamber and maintamed under pressure therein, and a fluid or gas under pressure is intimately mixed with the liquid in said chamber, the mixture being thereupon allowed to escape from the chamber through a nozzle into the atmosphere or other space at a lower pressure than the pressure in said chamber. By this means the liquid is efliciently atomized as it emerges from the nozzle, the liquid tending to discharge at a certain velocity through the nozzle owin to the pressure in the chamber, while the uid intimately mixed therewith tends to escape at a considerably greater velocity according to its specific gravity, the molecules of the liquid being thereby entrained by the fluid and dispersed on emerging from the orifice of the nozzle owing to the expansion of the fluid.

Any suitable fluid or gas may be employed and supplied at a pressure equal to or greater than the pressure existing in the chamber in order to be intimately mixed with the liquid therein and, if desired, the fluid may consist of the gaseous vapor of the same liquid as is to be atomized.

Instead of supplying the fluid to the liquid under pressure in the chamber, the fluid may be generated in the liquid in the chamber by superheating the liquid and reducing the pressure as it enters said chamber, so that the liquid will generate vapor in the chamber owing to the fall in pressure. this vapor intimately mixing with the liquid.

The improved method of atomizing may be said to comprise two stages,'the first stage consisting in the formation of foam either Serial No. 800,804.

by intimately mixing a fluid orgas under pressure with the liquid While the latter is maintained under pressure in a mixing chamber. or by freeing the latent gas or vapor of the superheated liquid in the mixing chamber by reducing the pressure so that the gas or vapor in a nascent state intimately mlxes with the liquid and forms a foam. while the second stage consists in allowing the foam which is under pressure to expand on emerging from the mixing chamber through a narrow orifice, whereby the foam bubbles are burst and particles of foam or spray formed, which spray is dispersed or atomized by the gas or vapor escaping at a high velocity.

In the accompanying drawings I have lllustrated by way of example two types of nozzles for carrying out the method accord- 1ng to the present invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a nozzle in which the fluid is adapted to be supplied to the liquid under pressure. Fig. 2 illustrates in section a nozzle in which the fluid is generated in the liquid by reducing the pressure as the liquid enters the nozzle chamber.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings: 1 designates the nozzle casing to which the liquid to be atomized is supplied through a connection 2 and valve 3 under pressure. 4 designates a tube screwed into the nozzle casing 1 and having perforations 5 at its inner end. The fluid under pressure is supplied to the tube 4: through a connection 6 and valve 7. The nozzle casing 1 terminates in a tapered discharge nozzle 8 and if desired a diaphragm 9 having a small central orifice 10 may be provided intermediate the nozzle casing 1 and the discharge nozzle 8. The liquid entering the nozzle chamber 11 under pressure from the connection 2 is thus intimately mixed with the fluid emerging from the orifices 5 in the tube 4 to which the fluid is supplied, so that an intimate mixture of the liquid and fluid takes place in the chamber, with the formation of foam the mixture or foam being discharged through the nozzle 8 and the liquid or foam being efficiently atomized on emerging therefrom owing to the entraining and expanding action of the fluid. It will be understood that if desired, the liquid supplied to the connection 2 under pressure may be superheated and the valve 3 adjusted so that the pressure of the liquid is reduced in part of the vapor of the liquid present in a latent and compressed state in the liquid will be set free in the nozzle chamber 11 in the form of bubbles, liquid will also generate its own vapor in the nozzle chamber 11 with the formation of foam. The same effect will be obtained when the perforated diaphragm 9 is provided, the pressure of the mixture being reduced as it passes through the diaphragm 9, so that the liquid will generate vapor with the formation of foam in the discharge nozzle 8 while at the same time the fluid mixed with the liquid will expand, thus increasing the atomizing effect on emerging from the discharge nozzle 8. It will of course be understood that if the fluid is capable of condensing in the liquid such, for example, as when steam is supplied to cold or warm water, the fluid must be supplied in suflicient quantity to raise the temperature of the liquid to such an extent above its boiling point at atmospheric pressure that as the mixture passes from the nozzle chamber 11 to the outlet orifice of the discharge nozzle 8, part of the fluid present in a latent and compressed state in the mixture Will be set free in the form of bubbles, owing to the reduction in pressure and mechanically mix with the liquid with the formation of foam as the mixture is discharged from the discharge nozzle 8.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the liquid is supplied in superheated condition and under pressure by Way of a connection 12 to a nozzle casing 13 through a valve 14. It Will be seen in this case that by regulating the valve 14 the pressure of the liquid will be reduced so that it will generate its own vapor in the form of bubpassing therethrough whereby,

that is to say, the.

'bles with the formation of foam in the 1. The herein described method of atomizing a liquid which comprises supplying the liquid under pressure and in a superheated condition to a chamber, the pressure of the liquid being reduced as it enters the chamber whereby it will generate vapor therein, the chamber and liquid supply means being so related that an intimate mixture of the liquid and its vapor occurs within the chamber, and allowing the mixture to escape from the chamber into a space at a lower pressure than the pressure in said chamber, so that the liquid is atomized by the entraining and expansive action of its vapor.

2. The herein described method of atomizing a liquid which comprises supplying the liquid under pressure and in a superheated condition to a chamber through a constricted inlet so that the pressure of the it will generliquid will be so reduced that ate vapor within the chamber and the latter being of such character that the liquidand vapor therefrom 'Wlll become intimately mixed therein, and allowing the mixture to escape from the chamber into a space at a lower pressure than the pressure in said chamber, so that the liquid is atomized by the entraining and expansive action of its vapor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNST KOERTING. Witnesses:

ANGELO, SORA UIN, CESARE M. GUELF. 

